Sanctum of the Fourfold
Major Organizations
Sanctum of the Fourfold
The Sanctum of the Fourfold is the highest magical authority in Faia, responsible for the study, regulation, and ethical application of affinity magic. It acts as the public voice of the Mage’s Academy, incorporating many of the Academy’s doctrines and decisions into its own agenda. Made up of representatives from each magical affinity and the four Archmages, the Sanctum meets within the Mage’s Academy to oversee all magical practice, ensuring that affinity magic is being used for good.
ORGANIZATION TYPE: Mage’s Council
PURPOSE: To oversee the study, regulation, and ethical use of affinity magic.
SYMBOL: Four-pointed star.
PRIMARY LOCATION: The Sanctum meets in the central spire of the Mage’s Academy. The room is guarded by four enchanted gargoyles and a wall of spells.
LEADERSHIP AND HIERARCHY: The Sanctum is made up of the four Archmages, plus three additional mages of each affinity. As a whole, the Sanctum typically includes at least one specialist in each field of affinity magic as a member, such as a healing mage, a summoning mage, etc. Decisions are made through consensus only, and the Archmages hold the strongest influence.
MEMBERSHIP: Only the four Archmages and select mages are official members of the Sanctum. Once chosen, Sanctum members are permanent until they pass away, retire, or if they are voted out. When a seat re-opens, the Sanctum convenes to choose a new member out of all graduates from the Mage’s Academy.
STANDING: The Sanctum goes unquestioned as the primary authority on all magical matters. In fact, many Faians are slightly scared of Sanctum members.
FUNDING: The Sanctum is supported by the same donations that fund the Mage’s Academy.
KEY ACTIVITIES:
- Governing magical practice and ensuring ethical use.
- Setting standards for magical education.
- Investigating magical anomalies.
- Interpreting the deities’ will and communicating directly (or at least trying to).
- Advising the Lightkeeper Council on magical affairs.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Established a set of magical law.
- Established a comprehensive curriculum for magical education at the Mage’s Academy which is still in use today.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Sanctum of the Fourfold was created a few decades after the establishment of the Mage’s Academy, when it became clear that structure was necessary to regulate affinity magic. Since then, it has become the central pillar of magical governance in Faia.